Gated
by SoulfullyInclined
Summary: The Camdens move to a gated community. I don't own anyone. *Life and quality of the story depends on the reviews*. *Please Leave More Than A 2 Word Review*. *Please Review*. *Be Nice/Kind*. *If you review I'll write more. * *Thank you for reading/reviewing*.
1. Chapter 1

That warm, bright, sunny Sunday morning just before lunch my older brother Simon was driving himself and I to our new house. Our parents, along with younger siblings Ruthie and the twins Sam and David, were soon coming in the big white family van. We were moving bc we needed more space. Simon pulled up to a large, tall wrought iron gate behind which were several large houses on either side of the black road. The green lawns in front of the houses were manicured.

"Which one is ours?" Simon asked from the black driver's seat.

He looked through the gate. I followed his gaze. He was asking which house.

"I don't know," I replied from the black passengers seat; "your guess is as good as mine."

My cell buzzed with a text from Ruthie; **u there yet?**

**ya**, I sent. **which 1's ours?**

"How do we get in?" Simon wondered.

Set in the tall stone post next to the gate was a small white round button.

"I assume that's the doorbell," I said.

"Oh. There's a doorbell for a gate?"

He was surprised and confused by this.

**it's the back, last 1, **Ruthie texted.

She was answering my earlier question.

Simon automatically rolled down his window leaned over and pushed in the doorbell. The gates automatically slowly opened. They opened together.

"Wow," he said driving forward.

He was in awe of how big and nice everything was.

The gates closed behind us.

"It's so. quiet," I observed.

There weren't any people on their lawns, balconies or out walking.

"Which one's ours?" Simon asked.

"At the back, last one."

He drove past the other to the last house. It was big and white with a huge stone 2nd floor balcony.

"I have a key," Simon said pulling up to the curb and parking.

He meant for the front door.

"There's a garage," I said, looking at the attached garage.

I was saying we could park in the garage.

"I know but I want Mom and Dad to be able to find us. And we don't have a garage door opener thingy."

"Oh. Ok."

He unlocked the doors of the car. We unbuckled, opened the doors and got out, going to the front door of the large house. Simon unlocked and opened it.

"It's dark," I noted.

It was cold too.

He tried, unsuccessfully, to flip a light switch on the wall.

"Yeah and we, apparently need new lights. I wonder if there are any here."

We walked forward into what I think was the living room. The blinds were drawn. In the dim light we didn't see any furniture.

"There, isn't any furniture in here," I said.

He walked into the next room.

"Or in here," he called.

I heard him walking across a wooden floor into another room; "or this one."

I looked up at the ceiling noticing the part around the missing lightbulb was cracked. There were wires hanging from the spot.

"Hey the ceiling's cracked," I called.

"Yeah in here too. And so are the walls, actually."

I looked from the ceiling to the walls and noticed they had a few small dark cracks in them.

god how old was this place?

He came back into the living room.

"I'll go get some of the boxes," he said.

"Ok."

I followed him outside where the rest of our family was standing on the sidewalk. They were the first people wed seen here.

"Hi," Mom said.

"Hi it's unfurnished. And, the ceiling and walls have cracks in them. And, we don't have any lightbulbs," Simon informed her looking at her.

"Ok we'll take care of that," Dad said looking at him.

"We get to go shopping? That is so cool," my younger sister Ruthie said.

"I have to find a good school and church and jobs..." Mom rattled off.

"I'll take them shopping while you look around the neighborhood and find out about schools," Simon told mom and dad.

Mom looked at him: "thanks."

"We'll stay here w/ the twins," dad said.

"Are Elizabeth, matt and Mary coming?"

"Yeah they should be."

"Ok."

Elizabeth was matt's girlfriend. She was pregnant but not by him. Our family had sortof taken her in when we'd learned her ex had run off with another woman when they were together.

Simon, ruthie and I went into his car. The doors were still unlocked. He went around to the back and opened that big door and the 2 side doors. There were medium size brown cardboard boxes in the car. He took 2 stacked on top of each other and brought them into the house w/ dad following. Then mom came then me and ruthie. We set them on the soft living room carpet by the wall. I assumed the wall was white. We continued this for awhile untill we had all the boxes wed brought. There were more in the van. Mom went into what I thought was the kitchen. Dad went outside.

"wow this room is big," she said: "and dark."

"well it's a good thing we brought lamps," dad said coming back in.

He bent down and plugged a white power strip into the wall and a tall black standing lamp into the power strip. He did this in the living room and kitchen. The rooms were now lit.

"it seems weird to have a standing lamp in the kitchen," mom said.

"yeah it does," dad agreed.

Ruthie went in and opened the fridge.

"and we don't have any food in here. Or light. Apparently," she observed annoyed.

"and we don't have any food in here either," mom said opening the cabinets.

"and we don't have any food in here either," mom said opening the cabinets.

"how long has it been since anyone lived here?" dad stated.

"well awhile. Maybe."

"oh look there are cracks in the walls here too," ruthie said still annoyed.

"ill fix those," dad said.

"and the faucets which. don't work. And the stove and oven," mom said.

"right."

I was right. The living room did have white walls. It was unfurnished.

* * *

Simon, ruthie and I went outside and into his car. We drove out of the gated area and onto the street where we noticed there weren't any cars.

"Where's the store?" Simon asked.

"Grocery or bedding?" ruthie asked.

"Either."

"idinno your guess is as good as mine."

He rounded a corner.

"Ok anyone think this is a bit weird? I mean…there isn't anyone else driving," I said.

"Yeah I'd say more than a bit," Simon said.

"Where is everyone?"

Simon, ruthie and I went outside and into his car. We drove out of the gated area and onto the street where we noticed there weren't any cars.

"Where's the store?" Simon asked.

"Grocery or bedding?" ruthie asked.

"Either."

"idinno your guess is as good as mine."

He rounded a corner.

"Ok anyone think this is a bit weird? I mean…there isn't anyone else driving," I said.

"Yeah I'd say more than a bit," Simon said.

"Where is everyone?"

"idinno."

"Well I hope the store's open."

When we got to the store we discovered it was in fact open. But there weren't any customers inside. Other than us.

"um should we go in even though there isn't anyone here?" simon asked.

"I don't see why not," I said.

"ok," ruthie said.

Wed been standing outside the big store. The automatic doors slid open and we went in. it was air conditioned.

"so, if theres not anyone here and theres not a self-checkout, who do we give the money to when we purchase the itema?" simon asked.

"I don't know. We could just leave it," I said.

"yeah but somehow that doesn't seem right."

"lets go find the bedding section," ruthie said.

"its prolly at the back some…where."

We walked to the back.

"hi can I help you?" a voice asked.

We turned and saw a stunning woman simons age behind us. She was in a long black skirt and red sleeveless shirt.

"yeah do you work here?" simon asked.

"yes."

"ok where are your…?"

"at the back."

"right ok. And your tvs are…?"

"ill show you."

"ok."

She led simon away while ruthie and I went to look at the bed linens.


	2. Meeting Olivia

Simon

"Im Olivia btw," she told me leading me to the Tvs.

"hi, simon. We just moved here. Like, we literally just moved here. From CA."

"oh wow. Yeah it's a big place The Gates as we refer to it. 'we' being the residents."

I nodded looking down an aisle of big Tvs: "right got that."

She was really oretty and I was single. I wondered if shed want to get a drink after work.

"are those your sisters?"

I nodded: "yeah lucy and ruthie. Theyre in high school. I have 4 others. We need to find a church, school. Our place is unfurnished. So we have to get furniture and fix it up."

"yeah I get that. Its really old. You even have an attic."

"oh wow cool. Apparently."

She smiled over her shoulder at me: "I used to live there."

She had a nice smile.

"oh. Ok."

"so whay kindof tv are you looking for?"

"um I don't know. Something big that. Works."

She laughed. She had a nice laugh too.

"well that should be easy enough to find. So your family?"

"right. Parents are still together and my brothers girlfriend elizabeth whos pregnant but not by him has moved in with us. What are the people like here?"

"oh theyre an interesting mix. Strange. you'll run into them eventally."


	3. Chapter 3

When she was done talking I noticed she had fading bruises going from her neck to her shoulders cuts on her arms. She felt my eyes on her bruises.

"oh one of my boyfriends did that," she told me: "and it hurts for them to be covered."

I quickly became worried which she sensed: "oh it's nothing like that. No it was consensual."

I was relieved: "oh. Ok."

I'd never done that to a girl before and never had it done.

"and my girlfriend made the cuts. Like I said, we're strange."

"yeah so I've gathered."

"I wonder how Lola's doing…." she muttered going down the row of Tvs.

"Lola?" I asked overhearing.

"yeah. My stuffed cat. I have a museum in my house."

I didn't think she meant 'stuffed' as in plush animals.

"I'm sorry?" I asked very taken aback.

"stuffed as in….what Amanda seyfried does. She wouldn't be so weird if she wasn't so weird-looking."

"um oh. Wow."

She looked at me over her shoulder and smiled: "a lot of newcomers don't know how to react. I've grown accustomed to it."

"right."

"if you ever want to see my museum…let me know. Yeah the residents like it some of them even bring me their stuffed. Um, stuff."

This got a nervous laugh out of me.

I wondered how many significant others she had.

"ya know what I'm good."

"oh. Ok that's fine. I figured. Ya know, it's not for everyone."

She was surprisingly easygoing about this whole thing.

"hey do you have any trees?" she asked switching topics.

"um. Trees?"

"yeah you know. Greens…the herb. The thing that bob Marley…."

"oh um no."

"oh. Your sisters are pretty."

"thank you."

"so you came in here for a tv."

"yeah that's, why we're in this aisle," I said annoyed.

I quickly cleared my throat: "sorry. I mean yes I did."

"big ones right?"

I smiled: "right."

"what else is big?" she asked flirting w me.

"well it depends on when you get off. Um work I mean get off work," I clarified feeling awkward.

This lady had some strange power over me.

"Yeah there we go. I'm guessing you like sangria. Are you the only one who works here?"

"at the moment yes."

"oh."

"yeah I like sangria."


	4. Chapter 4

After we picked out beds bed linens and a tv and brought them back to the house w/ dads help we went to the grocery store. Which was also big. And there weren't any people shopping other than us. I hadn't met anyone else but Olivia. Wed made a date to go to a bar later tonight.

"wow. No really where is everyone?" lucy asked when we were in the store.

"yeah it seems weird for us to be shopping when there aren't any other customers," ruthie said.

"well I mean its open, so," I said.

We might as well go in.

"I hope there are self checkouts," ruthie said.

"yeah me too," lucy ssaid.

"alrite what do we need?" I asked.

"well the twins will want juice. And cereal," ruthie said.

"mom wants milk. And pasta," lucy said.

"ok….waffles too. And fruit, brocolli, edamame. Hummus. Burritos, Indian food," I said.

"body wash, shampoo, conditioner, hand soap. Aleve," ruthie said.

"oh and light bulbs," lucy reminded us.

We went around the store putting the items in the cart. When we got to the self checkout we discovered there wasn't an attendant.

"oh well that's weird," I said.

We purchased our items and left.

On the way back to the car ruthie said "I'm hungry."

"we just bought food," lucy reminded her.

"no I mean. I want to go to a coffee shop. Or something."

"oh. Ok."

We drove around untill we found a coffee shop. We parked got out and went in. as usual no one else was in there.

Or so I thought.


	5. Lucy

Lucy

"Hi what can I get you?" the cute dark haired girl behind the counter asked us.

"um. Chai," I said.

"and fries," ruthie said.

"yeah breakfast of champions," the girl said.

"just coffee," simon told her.

"ok. You can sit wherever."

"ok."

Simon and ruthie went to a table.

"you comin?" they asked me.

"yeah hold on."

"ok."

There was something about the girl. And maybe she'd know where the other residents were.

I wanted to talk to her.

"you're the only other person we've seen here besides the pretty girl in the store," I told her.

"oh yeah that's Olivia. Yeah she's pretty."

"right do you know where the others are?"

"oh they'll be at the party tonight. It's here. it's a masquerade. You're invited. Actually you all are."

"oh well thank you."

"do you like cemetaries? I was thinking we could go tonight. before the party."

"yeah ok."

"ok."


	6. Chapter 6

Lucy

It was that night and the girl whose name was nicole and I were walking through a cemetery.

"you ever been in cemetaries?"

"well yeah but not….not with anyone save for funerals."

"right. I love them I practically live here. Im not like. A ghost or anything I just really. Like them."

"oh."

"where ya from?"

"ca and you?"

"pa."

"oh."

"my friend lives here. Well I shouldn't say lived since hes not actually here. I mean hes living as a ghost. I was tthere when he. When it happened. And at the hospital."

"oh wow. I don't like hospitals."

"yeah the river took him. The car went into the river and…."

"yeah got it."

"ok. He saw this beautiful ghost on the bridge which distracted him. The ghost I mean not the bridge."

"right."

"they couldn't save him. Hes been in my dreams. He never found answers about his mother. Um. So theres another café here ill show you. Actually there are 2. Oones downtown theyre both café bars. Actually. You drink actually youre probably too young. But the café was built under a bridge that the water flooded however long ago. Yeah people stay away from us bc of that. And other. Reasons. So do you have a costume? And what kind are you looking for?"

Nicole finally let me talk.

"I do but I havent unpacked yet, so. And im not sure."

"right. Oh I know you should be light. The people in the town will get it."

"ok why. I mean why should I be light?

"that's what your name means right? Lucy Lucinda? Light?"

"actually its just lucy."

"oh. But its taken off Lucinda."

"yeah. Im ok w/ that."

"ok. I have lots of costumes."

"ok. Yeah we all have biblical names except for simon and my dad. The twins are sam and david, my other brother's matt my other sister's mary. My dad's eric. He's a reverend and still plans to be here. My mom doesn't have a job other than that. Marys in college. You should meet them. And elizabeth is matts girlfriend. My moms catherine."

"ok nows as good a time as any."

"ok."

"so youre churchgoing people."

"yeah."

"oh. Ok good since I know of a church around here."

"ok. Mary matt and simon are all older. Its nice here its quiet. Still."

"yeah thats what I like about it."


End file.
